Identification of bull protamine disulfides

Journal Article · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1991 · Biochemistry; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/bi00215a026· OSTI ID:5615197

Balhorn, R; Corzett, M; Mazrimas, J; Watkins, B ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CA (USA)

The authors have identified the disulfide cross-links in bull protamine by titrating intact bull sperm with dithiothreitol (DTT) and following the modification of each cysteine residue with tritiated iodoacetate. The derivatization of each cysteine was monitored by a combination of HPLC, peptide mapping, and protein sequencing. Analyses of total free sulfhydryls show that all seven of the bull protamine cysteines are cross-linked as disulfides in mature sperm. The first disulfide is reduced at a DTT:protamine cysteine (DTT:Cys) ratio of 0.3 and the last at a ratio of 2.0. Intra- and intermolecular disulfides were identified by correlating the reduction of specific disulfides with the dissociation of protamine from DNA in partially reduced sperm and sperm treated with N,N{prime}-ethylenedimaleimide, a bifunctional disulfide cross-linking agent. Three intermolecular and two intramolecular disulfides were identified. The results of these experiments demonstrate that the amino- and carboxy-terminal ends of the bull protamine molecule are folded inward toward the center of the molecule and are locked in place, each by a single intramolecular disulfide bridge. Three intermolecular disulfides cross-link neighboring protamine molecules around the DNA helix in such a manner that the protamines cannot be dissociated from DNA without first reducing the interprotamine disulfides.

• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 5615197
• Journal Information: Biochemistry; (USA), Journal Name: Biochemistry; (USA) Vol. 30:1; ISSN 0006-2960; ISSN BICHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550200* -- Biochemistry
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
AMINO ACIDS
CARBOXYLIC ACIDS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHROMATIN
COAGULANTS
CYSTEINE
DERIVATIZATION
DISULFIDES
DRUGS
GERM CELLS
HEMATOLOGIC AGENTS
HEPARIN ANTAGONISTS
NUCLEOPROTEINS
ORGANIC ACIDS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC SULFUR COMPOUNDS
PROTAMINES
PROTEINS
SOLUBILITY
SPERMATOCYTES
THIOLS
TITRATION